Electronic devices, such as semiconductor devices, memory chips, microprocessor chips, and imager chips, can include a charge pump (e.g., a DC to DC converter that functions as a power source) to create a voltage that is different (e.g., higher or lower) than the available source voltage (e.g., ‘Vdd’). Charge pumps can include components (e.g., diodes, switches, comparators, capacitors, resistors, or a combination thereof) that are organized to provide an output voltage that is boosted or reduced from an incoming source voltage.
Some charge pumps can include components arranged in units or stages (e.g., such that the connections between or relative arrangements of the units can be reconfigured to adjust one or more capabilities of the charge pump). FIG. 1A illustrates a single stage of a charge pump in an electronic device 101. In a pre-charge phase, an energy storage structure (e.g., one or more capacitors, represented as ‘Cp’) in the single stage can be charged using an incoming voltage (e.g., ‘Vin’). As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the charged storage structure can be reconfigured (e.g., using one or more relays or switches) from a parallel connection with the voltage supply for the pre-charge phase to a series connection with the voltage supply for a boost phase. Accordingly, a resulting output (e.g., ‘Vout’) can be higher (e.g., than the incoming voltage level (e.g. ‘Vin’).
The output voltage can be used to drive a load as illustrated in FIG. 1C. The boosted output can be connected to the electrical load. The load can draw a current (e.g., as represented ‘Iload’) and/or a drive a load capacitance (e.g., as represented by a capacitance ‘Cload’). As such, when the load is connected to the charge pump, the output voltage (e.g., ‘Vout’) can drop according to the pump capability. In providing the output voltage, charges stored on one or more energy storage structures (e.g., capacitors) can be routed to ground during charging cycles and then recharge from zero voltage.